I knew I had been moved from the ambulance to a hospital room. The chatter of nurses and occasional passersby hinted at this and the monitor by my bedside toned that my breathing and heart had indeed stabilized to a less frightening pace. The world was still white, but seemed more foggy and grey as I tried to blink once then twice before accepting that some progress was better than none. I heard a woman coughing in the same room to my right and turned my head accordingly. Or at least pretended that was what I did. Truthfully, I was certain I was still unable to do anything but experience these jarring moments.

Keep trying, I scolded myself mentally. There was a click somewhere to the left of me and a television turned on. I heard an audience applauding ecstatically as a familiar tune boomed in unison to an exaggerated voice I knew too well. It had been a nightly pleasure Megan and I had shared over drinks from the very first night we had spent together. It had become a "thing" of ours and our playful competitions had led to many more playful encounters. Part of me began to stir but guilt eased that short-lived moment. If that stirring had indeed happened or had just been my isolated wishful thinking, I could not be sure.

"This... Is... Jeopardy!"

I played along. I missed a few questions (mostly History) before moving towards a category I would have laughed at if it had been possible to force it. I forced a wheezing nasal sound instead. Alex Trebek announced the category with a fake evil laugh and poor rendition of some Hollywood villain.

"WHAT ARE YOU AFRAID OF?" The audience groaned at his dry humor and the game commenced.

"Bibliophobia, a fear of these, might hurt you if you want to continue your studies."

"Books!" I tried to say eagerly.

"If you suffer from heliophobia, a fear of this, you might be a vampire!"

"Sunlight," I pretended to reply.

"If you have pluviophobia, the fear of this weather condition, we probably won't find you "singin' in" it."

Rain had been the answer. My inner voice and the lady on TV named Meryl had responded simultaneously.

"If you've got dendrophobia, a fear of these, we suggest not climbing any."

The stakes were high for every contestant, except for the alcoholic ghost laid up in a hospital bed playing along. Nothing to lose and plenty to gain, as the saying went.

"Trees!" I screamed my answer silently towards the sounds onscreen and the bedside beeping translated my enthusiasm. No one guessed correctly but me.

"If you have stygiophobia, derived from the River Styx, you have a fear of this place, so act right!"

The obvious answer danced on my tongue as I tried again to force my jaw open to answer. I strained and could feel progress, the bones in my face aching and my neck sore. The sounds of the machines in the room toned menacingly close and frantic. I could hear a female voice excitedly approaching my bedside. There had been some blurred movement in the corner of my greyed vision as a shadowy shape leaned closer.

"Hell."

The final answer to the category before the commercial break reverberated in the room. I gathered my focus as the word spilled forth and tried to repeat it. The TV had become white noise in my head as I continued to force a sound again. I could feel the sheet fall to the floor as my bed moved slightly forward then back. The blind spot of my vision betrayed me again as the darkened womanly shape loomed now above me, her hands trailing along my arms. She stopped momentarily at the IV protruding from my arm and pulled. The needle bounced twice on the tiled floor, followed by the tubing.

"Hello, lover. I don't think you'll be needing that anymore." Her voice was shrill and desperate. Her familiarity had awakened certain parts of me. She situated herself and lowered unto me with predatory precision. Waves of fear and pleasure rocked us both, her claws raking my gooseflesh agonizingly. She panted in my ear, guttural animal noises mixed with feminine cries. I couldn't be sure that I had moved at all, her body seemed to quake enough even if I had not. I could feel her fingernail digging deep into my chest, the hospital gown shredding in one swift motion. I could feel the warmth of my blood, our pact sealing once again despite my weakened state.

The stickiness ebbed continually as her passionate movements rose and fell and she collapsed atop me. The room began to fade from grey to black and her hands cradled my dizzy head to her breast as she regained her composure. She forced my mouth open with a rough gesture, her lips meeting mine before my eyes finally began to focus more and more.

"I need more," she whispered faintly in my ear, her tongue lashing against my chest and moving upwards to my neck, teasing me back into some state of partial consciousness. The fear and confusion melted away to another thought as she began to kiss me again. "Mine."

I needed her even more than I had before. Every fiber in my body called me towards her. Bloody sheets and broken bones were irrelevant. She would heal me in time but there were dangers. Measures would have to be taken. I didn't understand what these thoughts meant or precisely, the ramifications. It didn't matter, though. It would all make sense in time. Each touch of her lips assured this to me as my vision slowly began to return.

My heart slowed to a calm pace as I felt my arm being moved suddenly. A young nurse stared at me in disbelief as she inserted a new IV into my arm. The name tag on her right breast glinted her name. Alicia. She gave the empty bag of fluid dangling beside the bed a curious shake. She moved closer and inspected my eyes for a moment, noticing that my eyes seemed to be responding to her unlike earlier. Her mouth grew slack as she noticed the torn hospital gown and bloodstains. I smiled lazily at her as she pushed the intercom button.

"Room 137 needs cleanup. Some new sheets and fluid." She shook her head nervously and stepped into the hallway. She motioned towards the room at someone to the left. "Dr. Alweiss! Sir, 137 has regained some ocular and facial function. Somehow-" Her voice trailed off as she returned her gaze to me.

I finally relaxed my strained eyes and yawned, weak but content.

Some smell better when they are near, I thought as I faded. Lily was intoxicating and I was addicted.